Blue state govs. rip Senate health bill
Steve
Canyon Note: California and New York prepare to be sucked into the
abyss.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/31032.html
Blue state govs. rip Senate health bill
By: Alex Isenstadt
December 29, 2009 07:08 PM EST
The governors of the nation�s two largest Democratic states are
leveling sharp criticism at the Senate health care bill, claiming that
it would leave their already financially strapped states even deeper
in the hole.
New York Democratic Gov. David Paterson and California GOP Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger are urging congressional leaders to rework the Medicaid
financing in the Senate-passed bill, warning that under that version
their states will be crushed by billions in new costs.
After the Senate passed the bill in a Christmas Eve vote, Paterson
said the expansion would leave New York $1 billion in the lurch. The
state faces a $6.8 billion budget shortfall heading into the 2010
fiscal year.
�[I] am deeply troubled that the Senate version of the bill worsens
what was already an inequitable situation for New York and I will
continue to be an advocate on behalf of New Yorkers to ensure we are
treated fairly by this critical federal legislation,� Paterson said in
a statement.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Schwarzenegger wrote that
the legislation would create a �crushing new burden� for a state with
a whopping $20.7 billion budget deficit.
�When asked for my support, I was assured that federal legislation
would not increase costs to California or include new unfunded
mandates,� Schwarzenegger wrote. �Unfortunately, under nearly every
scenario we can predict, the federal health care reform legislation
being debated would cost California�s General Fund an additional $3
billion to $4 billion annually.�
The resistance from the governors of two Democratic megastates
underscores the anxieties facing states as they grapple with the
prospect of a massive expansion of the Medicaid program.
The problem is that New York and California, both of which already
have expansive Medicaid programs, will pay a higher share of the new
expansion costs than many other states that have traditionally limited
coverage.
�The inequity built into the bill puts hardship on states and would
put them in the position of making cuts to providers,� said Susan Van
Meter, vice president of federal relations for the Healthcare
Association of New York State.
Schwarzenegger warned that the Senate health care legislation could
sink his state.
�As the partner responsible for implementing this program, I am
telling you that our Medicaid program is already at the breaking
point, and if federal health care reform is passed without addressing
the underlying faults in the system, health care reform will fail,�
Schwarzenegger wrote in his letter to Pelosi. �[I]f Congress fails to
address the existing unfunded mandates and adds yet another layer,
federal health care reform could collapse the very safety net system
it seeks to expand.�
Both governors� criticisms are notable because they are distinct from
the opposition to the health care bill voiced by many Republican
governors. Neither Paterson nor Schwarzenegger has opposed Democratic
health care reform efforts in general and both have been largely
supportive of President Barack Obama�s domestic agenda.
Schwarzenegger has embraced Obama and singled him out for his �great
leadership� in a joint appearance in Los Angeles in March. Obama
returned the favor by calling the California governor an �outstanding
partner.� And in an interview with CNN as recently as last week,
Schwarzenegger said Obama "should get a straight A" for his first year
in office "when it comes to effort."
While Paterson�s relationship with Obama has been cool since the White
House asked him earlier this year not to pursue a bid for a full term
in 2010, he is not philosophically at odds with the administration.
�The bottom line here is money,� Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) told
POLITICO on Monday, adding that bill the House passed in November was
far more generous to New York. �I think that if a state like mine is
doing what it is supposed to be doing we should be praised and not
punished.�
In a Christmas Day op-ed that appeared in the Buffalo News, Paterson
wrote, �New York taxpayers are being used to pay for handouts to other
states.�
�New York was an early leader in covering its citizens, with limited
assistance from the federal government. The Senate bill will fund
Medicaid expansions for states that lagged far behind New York while
depriving New York of the same funding. We are being punished for our
leadership,� Paterson wrote.
Paterson has an ally in another prominent officeholder who is
considered a presidential ally: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
who has enjoyed a mutually beneficial political relationship with
Obama.
Last week, Bloomberg called the Senate-passed bill a �disgrace,� and
warned that if it could result in city health clinic closings if it
were enacted as passed.
Paterson also carries the backing of the majority of the New York
House delegation, which last week wrote a letter to Pelosi and Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid asking them to correct the inequities as
the bill moves into conference negotiations.
New York Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said
they were receptive to Paterson�s concerns.
"We agree that states that have already expanded their Medicaid
programs should be rewarded for their generosity, and we are going to
work very hard to make sure that happens in conference," Schumer said
in a statement.
Brendan Daly, a Pelosi spokesman, told POLITICO that the speaker
intended to address Schwarzenegger�s concerns in the upcoming
conference negotiations.
�While the House health insurance reform bill is more favorable to
California than the Senate bill, we understand the governor�s
concerns, and we will work with the Senate to address them when we
reconcile the two bills. Our goal is to ensure that all states are
treated fairly,� Daly said.
� 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC
Killing, Inc.
The TraitorCrats want their bill, and they don't care how much damage
they will do to get it.
Ball-less Repugs
"Killing, Inc." <i.am.kil...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8cdf8b8b-b8e0-4bb0...@d21g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
The TraitorCrats want their bill, and they don't care how much damage
they will do to get it.
Ike had Nazis like you executed in WWII, for spreading disinformation in
time of WAR.
nobody
What about the original story was "disinformation"?
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